By JIM CRAWLEY Staff W riter
Recognized student groups might not have first priority in scheduling University Center rooms in the near
^The Memorial Student Center (MSC) Council and the University Center Board recently approved a motion to give University Center room scheduling priority to the MSC Directorate committees and Student Government (SG).
The motion, if approved, will allow the MSC Directorate and Student Government to preempt room reservations of any recognized student group up to 30 days prior to
MSC, SG request priority bookingthe date of the reservation.
Bill Davis, MSC Council President, explained that the reason a priority should be given to the MSC Directorate is “the MSC has been charged with providing student programming for the university.”
Presently, the motion to change the building use policy is being considered by Tom D. Cherry, vice president for Business Affairs. Cherry is the final authority on matters concerning the University
Center.The present University Center
(UC) policy states that “Recognized Student Groups are to be given first priority in scheduling in the MSC and the Theater Center, at night.
The recommendation to the UC board said that the MSC Directorate is the major user of the University Center. With this in mind, the MSC council asked that two sepa
rate priority levels be established for student organizations.
The priority levels would be designated as “The MSC Council and Directorate and Student Government and “Other Recognized Student Groups.”
The recommendation, if approved by Cherry, would allow the MSC and the SG to schedule space in the University Center a semester ahead of the actual date of the event.
At the end of the preceding semester the priority would revert to the present system by which the MSC and the SG have the same priority as all “recognized student organizations.”
Along with the scheduling priority recommendation, there was a motion concerning the responsibilities of the newly-formed MSC Building Studies Committee.
It was proposed that the Building
motion would give preferential Studies committee be given the duty of making recommendations to the UC Board concerning the operations of the University Center. Areas leased from the university (like post office, travel agency) would not be under the committee’s responsibilities.
Charles Cargill, manager of the University Center, said he was surprised there was little opposition from other organizations since the
treatment to certain groups.J. Wayne Stark, director of the
MSC, said he didn t think the motion discriminated against other student organizations.
Buck Weirus, Former Students head and UC board member, remarked that he was not present for the vote, but it could possibly discriminate against some groups on campus.
Davis, when asked if the new policy would hinder other clubs, said, the difference (between the other clubs and the MSC) is that the clubs aren’t paid for by all the students, so they shouldn’t be given the same priority as the MSC.
Every time you throw a little dirt, you lose a little ground.Cbe
BattalionVol. 68 No. 43 College Station, Texas Thursday, November 14, 1974
TEX A UNIVE R
At A&M Consolidated
Blacks listed as ‘underachievers’
By ROSE MARY TRAVERSO Staff Writer
Approximately one-fourth of the black students in the A&M Consolidated School District are classified as emotionally disturbed, socially maladjusted, underachievers or slow learners according to the fall Elementary and Secondary School Report.
Approximately four per cent ol the non-black students are in this category. The survey included students in the sixth through
I twelfth grades.The report, which was part of in
formation submitted to a Texas Educational Agency (TEA) accreditation team in October, said that there are two American Indians, 4()£ Black Americans, 35 Asian-Americans, 110 Spanish Sur- named Americans and 2393 individuals not included in the preceding categories attending school in the Consolidated district.
The high rate of learning difficulties and social problems among the black students in the district is the result of their “socio-economic background,’ said Fred Hopson, school district superintendent.
They do not have enough expos- nre to educational things, Hopson said.
Data from the 1970 census shoved the median of school completed by blacks in College Station as 8.9 years, while the median for the area’s total population as 15.8 years. Twenty-three per cent of the blacks complete high school, while 83 per cent of the total population are high school graduates.
The median income for black families in the area is $3,958 and 40 per cent are below poverty level while the median income for all families in College Station is $7,849 and 14 per cent are below poverty level.
The problem is worse on the high school level, Hopson said. A TEA representative observed there is “minimal enrollment of blacks in the advanced classes on the high school level and encouraged blacks who are capable to enroll in advanced classes to do so, he said.
Hopson said that older students who had attended segregated schools were at a disadvantage. The sophomore class is the first class to have gone all the way through in the integrated system, he said.
“Everything is better without the dual systems,” Hopson said.
Recent classes have had the ad
vantage of such aids as the Language or Learning Disabilities program (LLD) and the Child Development Center (CDC), Hopson said.
Teacher evaluations have already shown improvement in the performances of children who have attended the CDC, which is an expanded Head Start program, said Richard Burnett, local CDC administrator.
“The children seem to be more ready to learn,” Burnett said. The CDC serves 60 handicapped or economically deprived children, he said.
The report also said that 23 of the 59 students suspended during the previous year were blacks.
He said this is “totally unrelated” to racial or economic factors.
Disciplinary problems are “symptoms” of learning difficulties in many cases, he said. Some children try to compensate for their poor academic achievements by “clowning” in class, he said.
The report showed the ethnic breakdown of teachers in the district to include an American-Indian, 12 Black-Americans, a Mexican- American and 171 not included in the other categories.
Guarding the entranceAggies watch for vandals from Rice or The University of Texas. Other monuments that are being guarded on campus include the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross, the flag monument at the west entrance to the campus, the “fish
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WeatherClear, windy and cool Thursday and Friday. High both days mid-50’s. Low tonite 39°.
fountain and the Rudder Center fountain. The watchers ask passersby for identification and purposes for being in the area. (Photo by Chris Svatek)
UTPB
Editor ‘reassigned’ after critical letter
By DARALYN GREENE Staff Writer
The editor of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) campus newsletter, The Windmill, was reassigned Monday following publication last Friday of a letter critical of the UT board of regents.
UTPB President B. H. Amstead ordered all 1,300 copies of the issue shredded Friday afternoon. He also shifted editorial control of the newsletter from the department of mass communications to the campus news and information service.
Editor Joel Asbery was reassigned as a writer for the learning resources center. However, he refused to accept that position and will
seek part time employment off- campus. “I would not accept any position with that university,” Asbery said.
The destruction of the issue came about after the publication of a letter to the editor written by John Mosely, senior mass communications major, criticizing the UT system board of regents—particularly Frank Erwin—for the recent firing of University of Texas at Austin President Stephen Spurr.
After he ordered the issue destroyed, Amstead issued a statement saying Asbery “knew that this publication is an informational one and would not be allowed to print
(See UTPB page 9)
MSC interior designThis interior is on the second floor concourse of the Memorial Student Center. The sofas cost $605 each, the coffee tables $128 apiece and the antique table is value between $1,000 and $2,000. William Pahlmann, the inferior designer, said he “got a real good deal on the table
which was originally twice as large. It was cut in half so that one piece could be placed in front of the two such “mar- belia” murals on the floor. (See related story and pictures on Page 5.)
Council votes 7-6
VideoBy JIM CRAWLEY
Staff WriterThe Memorial Student Center
(MSC) Council on a rare 7 to 6 vote approved allocation of $15,177 for a video tape committee.
The proposed committee would program video taped recordings of university events in addition to showing entertainment programs.
The allocation of student service fees will have to be approved by Dr. John J. Koldus, vice president for Student Services.
Discussion on the proposed committee brought guarded comments from proponents and opponents of the large expenditures.
The majority of the fee request consisted of equipment purchases. The request was split up into three separate recommendations. The first year costs would be paid from the student service fee reserve, MSC Council funds and committee revenue.
The budget recommendation listed $15,177 from the student service fee reserve, $705 from the MSC Council and $1,400 from the revenue of the first year.. Mike Hatch, vice president of administration, formulated the committee’s structural and budgetary plans. He also proved to be the most vocal supporter.
Council member Bob Bell asked if there was enough grassroots demand for a video tape committee.
project asked“No, but there is an increase of
video tape groups at other student unions,” Hatch replied.
Council President Bill Davis said, “I don’t think you can expect a groundswell because video tape is so new.”
Speaking against the proposed video tape committee, Don Hegi, director of projects, said, “I don’t think we need it now. Only one other committee has a budget of over $15,000. We can use the $15,000 for different organizations, even those committees outside the MSC.”
John Nelson, agreeing with Hegi and Bell, said, “I think video tape should he open to all organizations. This would be met with overall approval from the students. ”
Replying to questions on the necessity of the committee Davis said, “Hopefully, this would attract more people to the MSC.”
“The major question seems to be money. If the program is justified, no matter how much it costs, we should fund it,” Hatch said.
At that time, a vote was taken on the proposal, and with one member abstaining, the vote was 7-6 in favor of the committee.
Discussion on Town Hall funding included the proposal by the committee to bring a soul music group to the campus during Black Awareness Week.
Dr. Vaughn M. Bryant, faculty representative, questioned the popularity of a black group because of the small number of blacks on campus.
“I think 30 to 40 percent of the students like soul music,” MSC Secretary-Treasurer J. Wayne Stark said.
The motion carried unanimously.
During open session, Davis commented that R. Clark Diehel, controller of accounts, told him that the meals served before the council meetings were illegal because they are bought with student service fees.
Diehel asserted that these fees are actually state funds and it’s unconstitutional to use these funds to buy food.
Stark said that Diehel hasn’t officially notified him of any such law. He also questioned the statement that student service fees are state funds.
In other business, the council approved the appointment of Cindy Walters as the new chairman of the Host and Fashion Committee.
“If we continue without creating a ruckus, we can probably proceed without it being brought out,” Bryant said.
Freshman elections today—polls close at 6 p.m.